Magner passes soil test

DURHAM -- Soil tests of the former Magner Corp. headquarters gave the land the town proposes to buy a clean bill of health.

JOHN CHRISTIE

Published 12:00 am, Wednesday, September 18, 2002

A report by the Farmington-based Shanahan Consulting Inc. submitted to the First Selectman's office on Tuesday concluded no substantial contamination exists on the property at 35 Magner Drive.

"Everything's clean," First Selectman Maryann Boord said.

In August, the town hired Shanahan for about $10,000 to conduct groundwater and soil testing on the 8.5-acre property after receiving reports that follow-up testing after the removal of an underground oil tank in the early 1990s was never done.

While Phase I environmental assessments from 1993 and 1994 found no evidence of industrial solvents or other contaminates on the property, recommendations for secondary testing was never completed.

According to Shanahan's report monitor wells and soil tests "did not find any signs of subsurface contamination on the site and we do not recommend further assessment of the property for subsurface contamination."

"It's good news for us," Boord said.

Details of the report will shared with the public during a second public hearing on Thursday regarding the town's $4.4 million proposal to purchase and refurbish the 32,000-square-foot facility for use as town offices, a town garage and a senior/community center.

"This will allow us to respond to residents' questions that have surfaced since the first public hearing," Boord said. "The town's financial consultant will be on hand to provide accurate information on the whole financial picture."

The Thursday public hearing will start at 8 p.m. in the Coginchaug High School auditorium.